Glen Powell charms on ‘SNL,’ and Will Forte as MacGruber returns to destroy the Epstein files

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If you’ve enjoyed movies like “Top Gun: Maverick,” “Hit Man,” “Anyone But You,” or “Twisters,” you likely appreciate how effortlessly charming Glen Powell is on screen.

He’s undeniably handsome and charismatic – a classic leading man. However, there’s a playful, slightly nerdy side to him, especially visible in his film “Hit Man” directed by Richard Linklater. It’s like he’s eager to show a more comedic side beyond his good looks – similar to Jon Hamm. This was apparent even while he was promoting his action movie, “The Running Man.”

The show felt particularly successful, likely thanks to Powell’s hosting debut. This episode of “Saturday Night Live” was the most lighthearted of the season, and surprisingly, almost every sketch delivered at least a few laughs.

Colin Powell was known for his willingness to transform for sketches, famously wearing wigs – like in a bit comparing bobs and bangs. He also showcased his range with accents, doing Norwegian and Irish voices for sketches parodying Nordic films and the “Taken” movies, respectively. He even sported a long ponytail and sang in a pre-recorded musical number about men missing their ex-girlfriend’s fathers (playing one of the dads!). Beyond these transformations, Powell excelled as a supporting actor, notably alongside Marcello Hernández in sketches about comedian Sebastian Maniscalco at a bachelor party and a woman joining friends after a bad haircut. He also demonstrated strong physical comedy in a visual sketch where AI hilariously botched the restoration of old photos.

Even with Will Forte returning as MacGruber in three new sketches – which involved the character discovering his name was linked to the Epstein files and, predictably, a lot of explosions – the show still managed to deliver a wealth of other excellent content that week.

This week’s episode really highlighted how strong a performer Padilla is, with standout roles as a hair salon customer, a surprised nursing home resident, and a spot-on impersonation of Karoline Leavitt in the opening sketch. It’s becoming increasingly clear that labeling Padilla as a ‘featured player’ instead of a regular cast member is a misjudgment.

Also, for the first time in a long time, “Weekend Update” didn’t include any guest appearances. We’ll discuss why later.

Musical guest Olivia Dean performed “Man I Need” and “Let Alone the One You Love.”

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I have to admit, while James Austin Johnson’s impression of President Trump is still spot-on, the sketches are starting to feel a little predictable. It feels like every week, they start with the latest headlines and then just… fall into the same Trump monologue. It’s an easy way to wrap up the truly bizarre news cycles we’re living through, but it’s losing some of its impact. In the sketch, Sarah Leavitt, playing the White House spokesperson, tries to brush off the release of the Jeffery Epstein emails, claiming the President is just ‘too loving,’ which is… something. When pressed about millions going to Argentina, she awkwardly tries to steer the conversation back to the files, and that’s when Trump himself shows up. He asks these unbelievable questions – like, ‘Why would I cover up files if they were incriminating?’ and ‘Wouldn’t an innocent person just release them?’ – and then casually offers to sell framed copies of the emails for eight hundred dollars! It all spirals into this wild theory that there are multiple Trumps across different realities, and somehow, we’re stuck in the worst one. Honestly, it’s a lot to take in, but it’s undeniably… Trump.

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During his opening monologue, actor Glen Powell joked about being overexposed, saying even he was tired of seeing his own face—but his mom wasn’t! He then countered the idea that he’s a recent success, explaining he’s been acting since childhood, starting with commercials and safety videos in Austin, Texas. Powell shared that he was originally scheduled to host “Saturday Night Live” four years ago to promote “Top Gun: Maverick,” but the show was put on hold when the movie was delayed by the pandemic. A funny moment occurred when a UPS driver showed up at his house while he was celebrating the initial SNL hosting news, and ended up in a family selfie. Powell’s sisters found the driver, and he invited him to the show. This led to a surprise appearance by Mitch the UPS driver, both during the monologue and again at the end of the show. Powell concluded by saying, “The best things in life don’t happen overnight. No one knows that better than UPS.”

Best sketch of the night: AI has not advanced enough to get crotches right

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Okay, so I saw this hilarious sketch about a family bringing Thanksgiving to their grandma at a care home. They tried to cheer her up by using an app to animate her old photos with AI, but things went wonderfully wrong! The AI clearly had some issues – it created a dog with two tails instead of a head, and this old family friend, played by Mikey Day, randomly took his pants off to reveal… well, let’s just say a very plastic anatomy. Then there was this baby that folded up like an accordion while an atomic bomb exploded in the background – seriously bizarre! What really made it work was the actress playing the grandma – her reactions were priceless, and the physical comedy from Day and Powell was just perfect. It took a simple idea and turned it into something truly unforgettable.

Also good: Of course MacGruber is in the Epstein files, how could he not be?

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Will Forte’s return to “SNL” was a highlight, especially bringing back his beloved character MacGruber. This time, the sketches followed MacGruber as his friends discovered his name appeared in the Epstein files. The humor came from MacGruber’s frantic attempts to cover his tracks, first by trying to destroy the evidence. Over three segments, he dodged questions, then considered testifying about the others involved—until he was offered a large sum of money to stay silent. Each sketch predictably ended with a bomb exploding.

‘Weekend Update’ winner: No guest segment, but two very funny bits

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On “Weekend Update,” the show typically features cast members like Bowen Yang or guest stars performing as characters or themselves. This week, though, there wasn’t time for those segments, so the show consisted only of jokes from Colin Jost and Michael Che. Two jokes were particularly memorable. One involved a scandalous rumor about Trump and Bill Clinton that’s too explicit to fully explain here. The other was a clever joke about the U.S. Mint stopping production of pennies, prompting Che to deliver the pun, “Makes no cents!”

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2025-11-16 11:31